Thursday, May 15th we will be holding the annual meeting on our usual meeting day at 7:30 pm in the museum. Refreshments will be served and everyone is welcome. Dues are usually paid at that time. It's a good time to come and ask questions and tour the museum.

"Main Street and Beyond" can be bought for $30 plus $2.18 tax at the museum or at the Silver Cross. It is also available on Amazon by typing in "Ft. Loramie".

If you signed up for the Kroger Plus program that gives donations to the museum you have to re-sign up in May. You need an email address to sign up but you don't have to have a computer. A relative or friend who has one can get an email address for you.

Since the location of the sycamore tree that marked the Greenville Treaty line has been found a ceremony has been planned for September 28th and will be held probably in the elementary school. There will be speeches and afterward a memorial will be unveiled on the spot weather permitting. More information as time goes on.

There has been static on the phone line for some time and recently it stopped working altogether. NKTELCO has determined that the line leading to the building is fine so the problem is in the building. We will be stringing a new line.

Nominations are being sought for the Fort Loramie Education Foundation Wall of Honor. The deadline is June 1st. Contact information is on the school website.

The museum will be open this summer as usual on Sunday afternoons from 1-4 in June, July and August. Tours can be arranged at other times. Historical and genealogical research times can also be arranged.

(I'm passing this along)

John (Coach) Kremer will be 90 years old on April 17 and many people are sending him cards to help him celebrate the day.

His address is:

John Kremer

711 S. Walnut St.

Room 1035

New Bremen, OH 45869.

He is a resident at Elmwood Assisted Living. He is mentally and physically very strong for a man of 90.

Anyway, I'm sure he would appreciate a card. Please feel free to spread the word about his birthday.

The owl gang was a group of young men in Fort Loramie, Ohio, who pretty much ran around together. They had common interest and they decided to build a meeting place, so they took it upon themselves to build a shack, a small building along the Miami-Erie Canal.

The first shack was probably about ten by ten, not too large, well built by these young men. So then with the help of some parents, I think mostly Edison Maurer, they decided to build a larger shack, about twelve by twenty-four; they had a cement floor and foundation and even had a drain which could be used when it was required to clean the floor. Also had a chimney which I think was mostly constructed by Jim Quinlin as he worked for Freytag’s as a helper. The building was more than ample to just relax and have fun. It seems they had a pot belly stove to heat the shack in colder weather., each member had their own locker which housed some of their private belongings. Having been there many times myself it was more than ample for playing cards, frying fish, rabbits, and perhaps a pheasant or two, which I think was prepared on a camping stove, and perhaps having some form of liquid refreshments.

One of the rules was no women allowed.

Dues were collected from each member, and it was hard to crack the membership if you were not an original member, although many friends did come for the parties.The original members were Tom and Ralph Gaier, Rich Bollheimer, Paul Maurer, John Lachey, Don and Leo Wendeln, Fred Drees and Don Ruhenkamp

Ralph Gaier was President, and they had meetings such as how to make the mud alley easier to travel, so they decided to use cinders which were free for the hauling, and one fellow who wanted to become a member volunteered to use his father’s livestock truck to haul cinders. Not sure even after he did this if he qualified to be a member, as I say it was hard to crack the membership, but the cinders did help.

Members of this group also played High School basketball, until one night when going to the shack after basketball practice one of the member’s father’s auto, a 1930 Model A, was overloaded and became top heavy and rolled over on its side. All members escaped, but it happened at wrong time as the High School Basketball coach, think it was Mr. Westfall, did not like what he had seen, and dismissed the entire group from his team, did not make a winning season for him as he lost many good ball players.

This group of men all were productive citizens in their adult life and many could be considered role models for the younger folks. At this time May 2, 2013 all these fellows would be nearing the age of 80 years old. I am sure they could tell some really good stories. At this time I think the living members still remaining are Ralph Gaier, Rich Bollheimer, Paul Maurer and Fred Drees.

If you want to check out the old remnants of the old foundation, turn right at 3255 Schlater Rd. You would have to travel north once you reach the private alley, and go about 1000 feet north. The alley turns about 50 feet before the location of the foundation, some of which is still there.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

It has been a nightmare of a winter but a good one for ice fishing and skating. I see many little huts out on the ice at Lake Loramie.

In the olden days blocks of ice were cut from the lake, stored in ice houses, packed in straw and delivered to households in summer to be put in ice boxes in kitchens. There was a pan under the icebox to catch the melting ice. The tools used for cutting and carrying blocks of ice can be seen at the Lake Heritage Museum when it is open.

In January of 1936 a cottage was moved across the lake on the ice. The ice was 20 inches thick that year. The cottage was owned by Walter Robbins and stood on leased land. When the land was bought by someone else the cottage had to be moved. It looked as if it would have to be hauled all the way around the lake. Instead it was decided to haul it across the lake and a Mr. Schafer and his team of bay horses weighing about 1700 pounds each were chosen for the job. The building was jacked up and skids placed underneath. The temperature was 14 below zero and a terrible wind blew. They pulled the building over a mile of ice and a half mile of frozen ground. They had to stop and rest the horses periodically. It doesn't say in the report how long it took to do this. Ten men went along to help. The building was eventually set on the Bernard Ernst farm near Short's Landing.

At a more recent time several men from Minster took up the sport of curling which they played on the lake near Earl's Island. I won't explain the sport because most of us have seen it played on TV during the Olympics and besides I don't understand it. Don Oldiges and Louis Hoying Jr. were the co-founders of the local club that averaged 50 members who came from Minster, New Bremen, Ft. Loramie and Maria Stein. Some teams were called The Rolling Stones, Pebble Pushers and Flying Saucers. The purpose was to have fun and the loser bought the beer.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Fort Loramie Farmer's Market is a community event sponsored by The
Fort Loramie Area Chamber of Commerce and Coordinated by Beth Swick
& Teisha Strelow. It will be held in the park downtown on Fridays between May 9 and Sept. 26.

Saturday, March 1, 2014

"Ft. Loramie, Main Street and Beyond" is being reprinted in paperback. It looks exactly like the hardback version and will be sold for $30 plus $2.18 tax. We can have as many or as few printed as we like. It can be bought from the historical association or at the Silver Cross in Ft. Loramie.

Jim Rosengarten recently spoke to the Maria Stein Cub Scouts and gave a tour for the Ft. Loramie Cub Scouts. He was also asked to write an article for the Progress supplement in the Sidney Daily News.

The Christmas decor has been taken down and put away and the museum is being polished up for summer visitors. 447 dinners were served during the four days of the event. The museum will be open as usual on Sunday afternoons in June, July and August. Groups wanting a tour and anyone wanting to do research can get in touch with one of us on the contact page.

The location of the sycamore tree that once marked the Greenville Treaty Line that runs through Ft. Loramie has been found using modern surveying technology.The tree is long gone but there are tentative plans for a monument on the spot and a ceremony. The line was laid out in 1795 to divide the lands reserved for the native tribes and the lands reserved for the settlers.